GIANTS NOTEBOOK / Uribe gets big welcome in clubhouse

Before the news of Darryl Kile reached the Giants' clubhouse, Jose Uribe walked through and heard a familiar chant: "Oooo-ree-bay." It was manager Dusty Baker, who hugged the former shortstop and invited him into his office.

"It's the first time I've been back since I retired," said Uribe, who last played in 1992, before stepping aside for Royce Clayton. "This is a great area,

and a lot of people here treated me well. My No. 1 memory in baseball, one of the great moments of my life, was the (1989) World Series . . . before the earthquake."

Uribe is in town for today's reunion of Latin American Giants and will be honored before the game. He lives in the Dominican, where he entered the real estate business and owns a hardware store. Regarding the rumor that he became a mayor, Uribe said it never happened, though it nearly did, and he remains a civic leader in Juan Baron.

When Uribe visited the broadcast booth, Mike Krukow placed a call to Robby Thompson so Uribe could speak with his old double-play partner. One of Uribe's eight kids, Rique, is 14 and told his father he wants to grow up and be like Will Clark.

"I'm trying to work for the (Giants') organization, teaching their minor- leaguers in the Dominican," said Uribe, whose fear of flying is one reason he hadn't returned to San Francisco before now. "I follow the Giants back home, and it's nice to be back."

PALMER AND GIANTS: Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, now an Orioles broadcaster, never pitched against the Giants in real games or exhibitions. Perhaps the closest he came was in 1971, when the Orioles made the World Series and the Giants bowed out to the Pirates in the National League playoffs.

"As it turned out, it was a great World Series anyway," said Palmer, even though the Pirates won in seven games.

Palmer does remember facing Willie Mays in an All-Star Game. "He swung at three pitches, then he said I was wild," said Palmer, smiling. "I wasn't wild. He confused me with Milt Pappas. I talked to him yesterday about that."

Growing up in Scottsdale, Ariz., Palmer used to follow the Giants during spring training. He said a Giants scout encouraged him to sign with San Francisco, and wouldn't history have changed if Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry had a kid like that to tutor?

MISCELLANY: Damon Minor's brother, Ryan, was released from the Mariners' farm system and is looking for work. The other Minor, this one right-handed, played for Montreal last year and Baltimore the year before. His claim to fame is playing third base the day Cal Ripken's record streak ended.